Thus spoke Jean Paul Gaultier several decades ago, and it still holds true now more than ever. In fact the rebellious elements of the ’80s – the clashing prints, the boxy cuts, the masculine details – no longer need to be so forceful in their efforts to challenge convention. We accept all sorts.

But as much as things have progressed some things have remained the same. Gaultier is still theatrical and bold, still working to create something different. In this spread from Elle Magazine in the 1980s we get a backwards glimpse not just at some of Gaultier’s pieces from the day, but – given he actually styled the shoot from a number of different brands – on how he saw fashion back then. That boldness is manifest in ideas that still get recycled, and some cuts and colours that we certainly wouldn’t go anywhere near in 2012.